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Bird Flu – Answers to 10 Important Questions
by: Brian McGregor Copyright 2005
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Most people know that bird flu is beginning to emerge as a
serious health threat to the world.
There are real concerns and in this article we give answers
to 10 questions which many individuals are asking about
bird flu.
1. What is Bird Flu?
Avian influenza or 'bird flu' is a highly contagious
disease of birds, caused by influenza A viruses. In birds,
the viruses can present with a range of symptoms from mild
illness and low mortality, to a highly contagious disease
with a near 100% fatality rate.
The bird flu virus currently affecting poultry and some
people in Asia is the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of the
virus.
As the virus can remain viable in contaminated droppings
for long periods, it can be spread among birds, and from
birds to other animals, through ingestion or inhalation.
All bird species are thought to be susceptible to avian
influenza. Migratory birds such as wild ducks and geese can
carry the viruses, often without any symptoms of illness,
and show the greatest resistance to infection.
Domestic poultry flocks are particularly vulnerable to
epidemics of a rapid, severe and fatal form of the disease.
2. Can Bird Flu Infect People?
People are rarely infected with bird flu viruses. Those who
have become infected have had close direct contact with
infected birds.
The first documented cases of bird flu infecting people
occurred in Hong Kong in 1997 and this was also the H5N1
strain of virus. Investigation showed that close contact
with live infected poultry was the source of the infection.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there is
mounting evidence that the H5N1 strain has a unique
capacity to jump the species barrier and cause severe
disease, with high mortality, in people.
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3. Can Bird Flu Travel From Person to Person?
There is no firm evidence that the H5N1 strain which caused
the outbreaks in South East Asia has acquired the ability
to pass easily from person to person or to sustain
transmission.
So far, while some instances of spread from one person
directly to another have been reported, these have been
isolated one-off occurrences with no further spread to
people, and the route of transmission remains unconfirmed.
4. Have There Been Previous Outbreaks of Bird Flu Affecting
People?
The first documented cases of bird flu in people appeared
in Hong Kong in 1997, when 18 people infected with an H5N1
virus strain were admitted to hospital, six of whom died.
The source of infection in most cases was traced to contact
with diseased birds on farms, and in
live poultry markets.
As of 13 October 2005, 117 reported cases of H5N1 infection
in people have occurred in four countries – Thailand,
Vietnam, Cambodia, and Indonesia. Sixty of these have been
fatal.
5. What is the Source of the Current Outbreak of Bird Flu?
The outbreak now concerning health experts began in poultry
in South Korea in mid-December 2003, and has affected birds
in many countries in Asia, Russia, and most recently Turkey
and Rumania. It involves a variant of the same virus
subtype as that associated with the 1997 Hong Kong
outbreak.
6. What is the Risk of a Human Influenza Pandemic?
A pandemic can be broadly described as a massive epidemic.
It occurs on a much greater scale than an epidemic,
spreading around the world and affecting many hundreds of
thousands of people across many countries.
Experts are concerned that the virus could adapt, giving it
greater affinity for humans. Or that it could exchange
genes with a human flu virus, thereby producing a
completely new virus strain capable of spreading easily
between people, and causing a pandemic. By necessity, if a
new strain were to occur then few people, if any, would
have a natural immunity to it.
7. What Can I Do to Protect Myself and my Family?
There is some evidence that recent H5N1 viruses are
susceptible to a class of antiviral drugs called
neuraminidase inhibitors.
The UK Government is expanding its stockpile of antiviral
drugs against the contingency of a flu pandemic, whether
due to an H5N1 or another new strain. On 1 March 2005, the
Health Secretary announced the procurement of 14.6 million
treatment courses of the antiviral, Tamiflu - enough to
treat a quarter of the UK population.
Individuals can purchase Tamiflu privately. The
manufacturer, Roche, is working hard to supply what is
required. World-wide demand, however, has increased
dramatically recently and there may be shortages.
8. Is a Vaccine Currently Available for Bird Flu?
The present position is that there is no vaccine for bird
flu.
There are, however, several potential vaccines at various
stages of testing and production. Whether these will be
suitable for use against a new pandemic flu strain depends
on how much the pandemic strain may have mutated and
changed from the original H5N1 virus strain used to create
the vaccine.
9. What is the Advice for Travellers?
Travellers to areas experiencing outbreaks of the disease
in poultry are recommended to avoid contact with live
animal markets and poultry farms.
Travellers should not attempt to bring any live birds or
poultry products back to their own country.
10. How Can I Keep up-to-date With Bird Flu Matters?
The following organizations have sections on avian
influenza which provide useful and regularly updated
information:
Health Protection Agency
http://www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/
avianinfluenza/menu.htm
DEFRA
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/
disease/avianinfluenza.htm
World Health Organization
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/en/index.htm
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UN Food and Agriculture Organization
http://www.fao.org/ag/againfo/subjects/en/health/
diseases-cards/special_avian.html
Bird flu has the potential to be the basis of an influenza
pandemic. The experts are predicting that there will be a
pandemic, although it is not possible to say when it will
occur.
The message is to be alert and be aware of the advice being
given by your government.
About
The Author
Brian McGregor
Brian McGregor is author of the ebook ‘What You Need to
Know About Bird Flu’. This publication outlines the bird
flu issue in much more detail, and is available free from:
http://www.workwinners.com/bird-flu/d-bird-flu.htm
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